Musashimaru needs new job...K-1?

[Taro Toporific]

Saturday, Nov. 15, 2003. Musashimaru, the second foreign wrestler to reach sumo's highest rank, has decided to retire after being handed his fourth loss ---AP / Nov 15,11:37 AM ET

[maruosan]

[Taro Toporific]

[Captain Japan]

[kamome]

Here's something I've been wondering for a long time: Why does it take so long for a sumo wrestler to heal? Both Musashimaru and Takanohana missed several basho to heal injured joints. American football players often suffer injuries at least as bad (sprains, broken limbs, concussions, etc.) but normally make it back in time to finish out a 4-month long season. Is it lack of good medical care? I think it would be presumptious to assume that sumo guys are just wusses who can't handle an injury. What's the deal?

[AssKissinger]

In Sumo, if you're a Yokozuna, if you finish a basho with a losing record even once they force you to retire. However, if you lose a couple in the early stages, you can pull the ol' "My back is killing me!" routine and sit it out. That way you don't have to retire. It's kind of a weak point about sumo but I've thought about it, too and decided that it's better than to risk forcing them to wrestle if they're really injured. The restructuring it would take to change it would just change the sport too much. This structuring also leads to them throwing matches. If one guy really needs the win and the other is already out of it but has a guaranteed winning record, they just step aside. It's kind of a "You owe me one" type of deal as well.

[kamome]

In Sumo, if you're a Yokozuna, if you finish a basho with a losing record even once they force you to retire. However, if you lose a couple in the early stages, you can pull the ol' "My back is killing me!" routine and sit it out. That way you don't have to retire. It's kind of a weak point about sumo but I've thought about it, too and decided that it's better than to risk forcing them to wrestle if they're really injured. The restructuring it would take to change it would just change the sport too much. This structuring also leads to them throwing matches. If one guy really needs the win and the other is already out of it but has a guaranteed winning record, they just step aside. It's kind of a "You owe me one" type of deal as well.

But that doesn't directly answer my question because it addresses wrestlers who have already healed and just opt out if they feel like they'll lose. But Musashimaru was out for how long? And he still has that wrist taped up and couldn't win a match. So we're talking several months without a return to normal. Why didn't he heal faster?

[Steve Bildermann]

Why didn't he heal faster?

Most if not all Sumo wrestlers have a plethora of 'overuse' injuries mostly joint related. These stem from constant daily training without any chance to recover or heal. 'Ganman' and 'Shinbo' are considered facets of 'good' fighting sprit.

These traumatic type injuries slow morph into chronic type injuries and the wrestler will often mask them with drugs. As the wrestler progresses up the ranks he gets less and less opportunity to 'coast' and so such problems are simply considered a part of the job.

The actual tournament is only a small part of the activity of the wrestlers. They fight daily in practice, in demonstration or on jungyo.

Most wrestlers, knowing their career span is short, cannot take the time out of training to heal from a overuse injury (which requires a long time of inactivity) so they just wait until they retire to get these injuries fixed.

Trouble is by then it's too late. Fucked up limping former Sumo wrestlers are a common sight round Ryogoku.

[kamome]

Why didn't he heal faster?

Most wrestlers, knowing their career span is short, cannot take the time out of training to heal from a overuse injury (which requires a long time of inactivity) so they just wait until they retire to get these injuries fixed.

But wait, Musashimaru, Takanohana, et. al., did take time off to heal his injury. He had been absent from the last few basho, right? Does that mean he was practicing all this time despite having an injury that needed rest, but just opting out of the tournament? What's the point of doing that?It would have been better to rest the injury without practicing for 2 months, then practice for a while, then get into the first basho possible with a completely healthy wrist.

[cstaylor]

Is it lack of good medical care?

Bingo. I've spoken with one wrestler who was injured for two tournaments, and he said that the Sumo association by-and-large frowns on sports trainers (which would go a long way towards preventing injuries) as well as using expensive therapy techniques... basically, it's practice, bath, eat, then sleep.

Remember: the Sumo association is a big welfare system, where retired wrestlers can find permanent jobs in some form or another with the association, and they'll get paid pretty well for it. Akebono, IIRC, was making close to $10-20k per month as a retired Yokozuna stablemaster-in-training. In football, once you retire, the team doesn't have to pay you anymore (if the contract is up), so they can use the extra money to pay for expensive therapies.

[Steve Bildermann]

But wait, Musashimaru, Takanohana, et. al., did take time off to heal his injury. He had been absent from the last few basho, right? Does that mean he was practicing all this time despite having an injury that needed rest, but just opting out of the tournament? What's the point of doing that?It would have been better to rest the injury without practicing for 2 months, then practice for a while, then get into the first basho possible with a completely healthy wrist.

Tsk Tsk Kamome and how long have you been a F*** Gaijin? Since when did logic and good sense have anything to do with 'traditional' sports training like Sumo. Of course they were practicing while resting, in fact being Yokozuna they were probably being pushed to practise harder to 'overcome' the injury and show good fighting spirit. The 'logic' there is that taking 2 or 3 months completely off would weaken their spirit and after all Sumo is all about spirit right?

So don't come round here with your common sense, rational thinking and good advice you weak kneed Gaijin you!

[Neo-Rio]

By the way, did anyone here see the K-1 on TV last night?
They had Akebono come down to have a look at some of the middleweghts go at each other.

Pretty good entertainment after work.

[kamome]

So don't come round here with your common sense, rational thinking and good advice you weak kneed Gaijin you!

You're absolutely right. Sorry for my lapse. I'll try not to let it happen again.

By the way, did anyone here see the K-1 on TV last night? They had Akebono come down to have a look at some of the middleweghts go at each other.

I saw it. he made a pretty dramatic entrance. And Akebono looks pretty mean in his street clothes. Wouldn't want to piss him off.

[Steve Bildermann]

Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee, they can't hit what they can't see. Rumble, young man rumble

You choose

[Taro Toporific]

Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee, they can't hit what they can't see. Rumble, young man rumble]

Akebono Concerned About K-1 Fightthehawaiichannel.com/sports / 11:22 AM HST November 19, 2003
TOKYO -- Former sumo wrestler Akebono admits he's worried about his upcoming K-1 debut against former NFL lineman Bobb Sapp...
Akebono said he's worried because this is "a totally new experience for me."....in sumo, "you pretty much know your opponents strengths because you practice against them." However, he said he has no idea how strong Sapp is and no idea what to expect.....
He is scheduled to take on Sapp on Dec. 31 at Nagoya Dome.

Now confess Steve, aren't you one of the Masked Mex Monsters listed on the fight bill?

Photos of "Masked-Mex Monsters" tag team of STEVE B. from ChachaCharming

[ramchop]

He rarely went to brothels when he was competing and lived a fairly quiet lifestyle. I'd stay he's got a fair amount of money stashed away.

[kamome]

Let's see, we now have the following former Pacific Islander-Yokozunas:

1) Akebono K-1 fighter
2) Musashimaru chanko nabe restauranteur
3) Konishiki rapper

Pretty cool bunch of guys!

[ramchop]

3) Konishiki rapper

Is that what he is? I thought he'd become a Japanese teacher for NHK kids spent about 20 minutes looking for a picture of him in his amazing brown and yellow prickly suit but failed miserably